Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-02-02
A HOT SPUR TO DEATH.

Farnsworth and his cavalry ION the ex-
treme Union left, afternoon of the second
day, Gettysburg) were riding in grand
style, with drawn sabres, unopposed, up the
valley. Ashley approached Slyder's house,
and as I stood intently watching them,
saw ragged Confederate battle flag flut.
tering among the trees at the foot of the
opposite ridge, and the men with it soon
after appeared, running out into the open
ground on the further side Of the valley.
1t was the Fourth Alabama Regiment,
Laws Brigade, which had been taken from
the main line and sent down by Lieuten-
ant Wade. The men opened fire as they
ran. The course of the cavalry was ab-
ruptly checked, and saddles were rapidly
emptied. Recoiling from this fire, they
turned to their left and rear, and directed
their course up the hill toward the position
occupied by our batteries. Bachman's
battery promptly made change of front, so
as to face the approaching cavalry, and to-
gether with its infantry supports, opened
a whitening fire at close range.
Turning again to their left, FarnsWorth
and few of his men who remained in
their saddles, directed their course toward
the point where they had originally broken
in, having described by this time almost a
complete circle. But the gap where they
another fire from that point, they again
turned to the leftsand took refuge in the
woods near the base Of Round Top. When
the last turn to the left was made, about
half dozen of their number separated
from the main body and escaped by rum
ming the gauntlet to the right Of the First
Tex regiment.
While these movements were in progress,
I coulu plainly distinguish General Farns-
worth, who led the charge, and whom l
then supposed to be Fitzpatrick. He wore
a linen havelock over his military cap,
and was evidently wounded at the time he
entered the woods Here, with his little
handful of gallant followers, he rode upon
the skirlnish line of the Fifteenth (Ala-
bama) Regiment, and, pistol in hand, call
ed upon Lieutenant Adrian, who COM
nanded the skirmishers, to surrender.
The skirmishers in return fired upon him,
killing his horse and Wounding General
Farnsworth in several places. AS he fell
to the ground, Adrian approached him and
demanded his surrender. He curtly refus-
ed to surrender, at the same time killing
himself with the pistol which he still held
in his hand.
During the afternoon the pickets of the
First Texas regiment had been so near the
point where the Federal cavalry were pre-
pairing for the attack as to hear their
voices distinctly when raised at all above
the ordinary tone. Just before the charge
was made they heard some one say, in an
excited, angry tone. Colonel, if you are
afraid to attack, by -, will lead the
charge myself" l afterwards learned that
the speaker was General Fitzpatrick. and
that the words were addressed to General
Farnsworth, who was aware Of the difficult
ties of the movement and would not have
made it if the matter had been left to his
own judgment. However this may have
been, he certainly bore himself with the
most conspicuous gallantry throughout that
fatal charge,-GeR. f. NJ. La,U, in Century.